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Cottontail rabbits shed clade 2.3.4.4 H5 highly pathogenic avian influenza A viruses

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Abstract

During 2014-2015, clade 2.3.4.4 H5Nx highly pathogenic (HP) avian influenza A viruses (IAV) were first detected in North America and subsequently caused one of the largest agricultural emergencies in U.S. history. Recent evidence has suggested that cottontail rabbits can shed multiple IAV subtypes. We experimentally infected cottontail rabbits with three HP H5Nx IAVs. All rabbits tested shed virus on at least one day by at least one route. Cottontail rabbits appear to be an exception to the limited capacity for replication that has been previously reported for certain other mammalian species inoculated with clade 2.3.4.4 HP H5Nx avian influenza A viruses.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the National Wildlife Research Center (NWRC) animal care staff for excellent animal care, J. Ellis and M. Grady for assistance with animal capture/processing, J. Ellis for assistance with AGID assays, S. Shriner for assistance with figures, and M. Torchetti for facilitating virus transfer. The opinions and conclusions of this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) or Colorado State University. The mention of commercial products herein is for identification purposes only and does not constitute endorsement or censure.

Funding

This research was supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

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Author notes

  1. J. Jeffrey Root and Angela M. Bosco-Lauth contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. United States Department of Agriculture, National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, CO, USA

    J. Jeffrey Root

  2. Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA

    Angela M. Bosco-Lauth, Nicole L. Marlenee & Richard A. Bowen

Authors
  1. J. Jeffrey Root
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  2. Angela M. Bosco-Lauth
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  3. Nicole L. Marlenee
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  4. Richard A. Bowen
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to J. Jeffrey Root.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

All applicable international, national, and/or institutional guidelines for the care and use of animals were followed.

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Handling Editor: Ayato Takada.

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Root, J.J., Bosco-Lauth, A.M., Marlenee, N.L. et al. Cottontail rabbits shed clade 2.3.4.4 H5 highly pathogenic avian influenza A viruses. Arch Virol 163, 2823–2827 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00705-018-3907-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00705-018-3907-6

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